Feeding machine



Dec. 27, 1927.

F. X. MALOCSAY FEEDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1919 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ja e/z for v Ji'iorneys Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,641

F. X. MALQCSAY FEEDING MACHINE I Filed 9 1919 v 2 Sheets-Sheet y .55 26 1- A. 111" 7 I212 4 Inventor 542) Mlw 4/ V r f e Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS K. MALOCSAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO IN TEBNATIONAL IBANDING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

' FEEDING 'mncnmn.

Application filed October 9, 1919. Serial No. 329,556.

My invention relates to apparatus for feeding cigars, and more particularly to feeding cigars which have already been pressed and boxed, whereby the cigars may be banded and subsequently be returned tothe box.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine .adapted to be used in connection with a banding machine such as for example that illustrated in my Patent No. 1,261,832, issuedApril 9, 1918, in which cigars may be removed from the box in which they were originally packed, fed to the banding machine, and returned to the box in the same order that they were originally boxed.

A further object is to provide means for removing cigars from a pack, which has been removed intact from a box, a row at a time in order that a single row, containing alternately twelve and thirteen cigars, may be banded and held separate to be replaced in the box in the same order and the same side uppermost as they were originally.

A further object is to provide a simple, cheap and efficient device for the purpose set forth, thoroughly reliable, efficient and effective in operation, in which chancesfor mistakes will be reduced to a minimum, and

which may be attached to .the apparatus with which it is intended to cooperate at a minimum of cost.

With these and other objects in view to be more fully set forth hereinafter, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the operation and construction hereinafter described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, considered together or separately. 1

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanymg drawlngs.

The invention will be first described in connection withthe accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment of the invention, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and then more specificall pended claims.

In the drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a detail plan view of the operating mechanism, partly in section;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same, partly in section; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

In carrying out my invention, I provide y defined and indicated in the apa table 1, which is preferably an extension of the table 2 of the banding machine shown in my patent above referred to. The table 1 has a rearwardly extending leaf 3.

Mounted on the table 1 is a pair of guide boards 1 and 5. The guide boards are positioned above the table, as shown. The boards are supported on shafts 6 and 7 near the ends of the boards. The shafts are supported in brackets carried on the table. One end of each shaft 6 and 7 is threaded, and engages a nut carried in a recess in the board 4. One of the shafts 6 or 7 carries a knob, and the shafts are connected by a sprocket chain 8 passing over sprocket wheels 9, whereby, when the knob is rotated, the board 4 will be caused to approach or recede from the board 5 to accommodate cigars of different lengths.

One bracket is provided with upright guides 10, and the opposite bracket carries a movable platen 11 which may be moved toward or away from the guides 10. The platen is carried on a rod 12 which may be clamped in position by means of a thumb nut 13.

A slide 14 is adapted to move across the table 1 from back to front. The slide lies above the table, and between the table and of the opening 18 in the auxiliary slide 15,-

and move said .slide to the rear.

When the slide 14 is in its rearmost position, the forward end of said slide is preferably below the board 5, and the forward end of the slide 15 extends partway across the space between the boards 4 and 5. As the slide 14 is moved forward by the crank 21, the slide 15 follows it in its travel under the influence of two springs 26 attached to the slide 15 and the leaf 3, until the forward end of said slide reaches a position beneath the board 4. At this time twofingers 27 carried by the slide 15 will engage ,the rear edge of the leaf 3 and further forward movement of the slide 15 will be arrested. The slide 14 will, however, continue its forward movement to the limit of the throw of the crank arm 21.

Loosely mounted on the shaft is a grooved pulley 28 which is driven by a belt 29 from a pulley 30 fast on a shaft 31 of this banding machine. The pulley 28 is provided with a hub 32 encircled by a leather band 33. Mounted on the hub is a split ring 34 adapted to be compressed into engagement with the hub by means of a spring 35. The ring 34 carries a lug 36 which lies between two teeth 37 of a dog 38 fast to the shaft 25.

Pivoted to the front of the casing 38, in which is supported the worm 24, worm wheel 23, and crank arm 21, is a bell crank lever 39, one arm 40 of which extends over the worm wheel. The arm 40 is adapted to be moved toward the upper face of the worm wheel by means of a spring 41 hearing against the casing 38*. The extremity of the arm 40 carries an abutment 42 which normally lies in the path of a stud 43 projecting from the upper face of the worm wheel. A stop 44 limits the movement of the bell crank in one direction. The arm 45 of the bell crank has an extension which extends toward the front edge of the table 1 and below the same.

The operation is as follows The shaft 7 is rotated and the b0 moved toward or away from the board 5 in I order that the distance betwen the boards will be slightly greater than the-length of.

the cigar to be handed The thumb nut 13 is loosened and the platenll is moved .in

or out to accommodate the length of the rows of cigars.

The contents of a box of ard is unbanded cigars are removed intact from the box and placed The shaft 31 of the banding machine is running continuously, and the pulley 28 is rotated by the' belt 29, but because of the engagement of the elements 42 and 43, the

worm wheel is locked against rotation, and the hub of the pulley 28 will slip on the leather band 33, the pulley will rotate relatively to 'the shaft 25, and the slides 14 and 15 will remain stationary.

The operator, who is seated in front of the table, and about opposite the pulley 28, will press with her left knee against the extension of the arm 45 of the bell crank 39, and move the said arm to the left. This will raise the abutment 42 from the path of the stud 43, and the frictional engagement of the hub of the pulley 28 with the split ring 34 will cause the shaft 25 to rotate through the engagement of the lug 36 with the jaws of the dog 38, and the worm wheel will be rotated in the clockwise direction. The operator will release the bell crank, and the spring 41 will return the abutment to its normal position in the path of the stud 43. Therotation of the worm wheel and arm '21 will operate the pitman20, andthe slide 14 will be withdrawn from beneath the pack of cigars. As the slide recedes, its rear end will engage the rear wall of the slot18 in the slide 15, whichwill be moved backward. This movement will not withdraw the slide 15 from the space bounded by the boards Ion On the forward'movement 6f the slide 14,

the springs 26 will pull the slide 15- forward, and the bottom row of cigars will tend to move forward therewith. While the frictional engagement of the cigars with the slide 15 may not be suflicient to withdraw the row against the weight of the superposed rows, it will be sufficient to loosen the bottom row from the row above it The forward edge of the slidef14 will engage the points of the cigars of the row resting. on

the slide 15, and push said. row beneath the board. 4, as shown in-Fig. '1; The stud 43 Wlll now engage the abutment 42, and the rotation of the wormwheel will be arrested.

The operator will now slide the :row of cigars from-the position a (Fi 1),- a 13oposition to the right, and with the right hand cigar of the row opposite the head I; of the banding machine. The cigars may now be fed, one at a time, into the banding machine, as described in my patent above referred to.- When the row at c is nearly exhausted, the lever 39 will be operated as before, and another row of cigars will be ejected. While the last article of row 0 is being placed-in the machine, the row from a will be moved to the position 0.

c As the cigars are being removedfrom the banding mechanism as fast as they are banded, there will be a short interval between the batches of cigars operated on,

and the batches will be separated from each other by a space correspondingto that interval.

As the batches are fed out of the banding machine, a second operator seated at the right of the banding machine, and at the r rear of the table 2 will slide each batch as it that can be employed to attain these oblaterally, a plunger adapted to be moved beis ejected into the same box from which it was taken, and in the same orderof cigars and rows. As the cigars are not removed from the table at any stage of the operation, they will be returned to the box in exactly the same order as they were originally packed. y

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statute Iha ve described the principle of my invention together with the aparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular form of. apparatus herein shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which objects of my invention are attained, and the new results accomplished, as herein set forth, as 'it is obvious that the particular embodiment herein shown and described is only one of many jects and accomplish these results.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a receptacle adapted to receive articles arranged eontiguously in superimposed rows, means for maintaining the alignment of said rows, means for adjusting said alining means whereby successive groups of articles of various sizes may be accommodated, and means for ejecting said rows in sequence beginning with the lowermost row.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising. a receptacle, said receptacle havg v ble Walls whereby said receptacle is adapted to receive suceessively groups of articles of various sizes, each group arranged insuperimposed rows of contiguous articles, said walls maintaining the alignment of said rows, and means to eject said articles in sequence, row by row, beginning with the lowermost row.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a table, a frame supported on the table, said frame being spaced above the table, a plunger carried by the table and adapted to be moved beneath the frame, means for moving the plunger, a slide .between the table and plunger, means carried by the plunger for moving the slide in one direction, and means other than the )lunger for moving the slide in the opposite dicontinuouslyjmoving shaft, connections between the shaft and plunger for intermit- ,tently moving the plunger, a slide between the table and plunger, means carried by the plunger for moving the slide in one direction, and means other than the plunger for moving the slide in the opposite direction.

5. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a table, a frame supported on the table and spaced above the same, means foradjusting the frame longitudinally and laterally, a plunger adapted to be,moved'between the table and frame, a journaled element carried by the table, a connection between the element and plunger,.whereby the plunger will 'be'reciproeated on the rotation of the element, a shaft for rotating the element, a pulley on the shaft, a constantly rotating member for driving the pulley, and means for arresting the rotation of the-element whereby the pulley will rotate relatively to its shaft.

6. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a table, a frame supported on the table and spaced above the same, means for adjusting the frame longitudinally and tween the table and frame, a journaledelement carried by the table, a connection between the element and plunger, whereby the plunger will be reciprocated on the rotation of the element, a' shaft for rotating the element, a pulley on the shaft, a constantly rotating member for driving the pulley, and manually operated means for arrest-mg the rotation of the element whereby the pulley will rotate relatively to its shaft.

, 7. An apparatus of the class described comprisin a table, a frame supported on and space above the table, a plan er adapted to be reciproeated beneath t e frame, said plunger being adapted, when in inefiec means for adjusting said frame to accomtive position, to stop short of the frame enclosure, and a slide beneath said plunger, a lost-motion connection between said plunger and said slide whereby said plunger and slide are moved to ineffective positions together, and independent means for moving said slide to effective position, said slide being adaptedto extend at all times beneath the frame enclosure.

8. An apparatus of the class described comprising a table, a frame supported on and spaced above the table, a plunger adapted to be reciprocated beneath the frame, a slide beneath said plunger,- a lost-motion & connection between said plunger and said slide whereby said plunger and slide are moved to ineffective positions together and to efiectivepositions independently.

9. An apparatus of the class described comprising a table, a frame supported on and spaced above the table, a plunger adapted to be reciprocated beneath the frame, a slide beneath said plunger, a lost-motion conmotion between said plunger and said slide whereby said plunger and said slide are moved to ineffective positions together, and independent means for moving said slide to effective position. I

"10. An apparatus of the class described comprising a table, a frame supported on and spaced above the table, a plunger adapted to be reciprocated beneath the frame, a slide beneath said plunger, a lost-motion connection between said plunger and said slide whereby said plunger and slide are moved to ineffective positions together, and resilient means for moving said'slide to effective position.

11: In an apparatus of the class described, a frame for holding aplurality of articles arranged in superimposed layers adapted to be ejected one layer at a time, and

modate variously sizedarticles, said means comprising a movable side wall and a movable end Wall.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame for holding a plurality of articles arranged in superimposed layers adapted to be ejected one layer at a time, said frame comprising a front Wall, rear wall and side Walls, means for varying the distance between said front and rear walls, and means for varying the distance between said side walls. a

1.3. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame for holding a plurality of articles arranged in vsuperimposed layers adapted to be ejected one layer at a time, said frame having a front wall and rear wall, means for moving one of said Walls relative to the other Wall, said frame having side walls,

one of said side walls being in the form of a platen movable relative to the other side Wall.

14. In an apparatus of the class described,

a frame for holding a plurality of articles arranged in superimposed layers adapted to be ejected one layer at a time, said frame comprising end Walls, and means for "varying the. distance between said end walls to accommodate articles of various lengths.

15. In an apparatus of the class described, a support, a frame mounted above said support a predetermined distance. and adapted for holding a plurality of articles arranged in superimposed layers adapted to be ejected ,one layer at a time through the space be t veen said frame and said support, said frame having relatively movable Walls to permit adjustment corresponding to the size of the articles.

This specification signed this 6th day of October, 1919. i

FRANCIS X. MALOCSAY. 

